Harnessing Technology To Revolutionise Meeting Spaces

The New Era of Work and Technology 

The 21st century has witnessed tremendous changes in technology, culture, and work. From the advent of social media and cloud computing to the rise of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, we have seen new possibilities and challenges emerge in every domain of human activity. But technology is not the only factor that has shaped this new era. Culture and work have also evolved, reflecting the values, needs, and aspirations of a more diverse and connected global society. 

One of the most significant shifts in the new era of work and technology is the increased awareness of equity and inclusivity. No longer can we afford to ignore the voices, perspectives, and experiences of those who have been historically marginalised or excluded from the mainstream. Instead, we need to embrace diversity as a source of creativity, innovation, and resilience. By creating teams of diverse backgrounds, skills, and identities, we can foster a culture of collaboration that leverages the strengths and potential of each member. 

However, diversity alone is not enough to ensure effective collaboration. We also need to use technology in a way that supports the communication and coordination of diverse teams, without favouring any style or type. For example, some people may prefer to communicate verbally, while others may prefer to write or draw. Some may work best synchronously, while others may work asynchronously. Some may need more guidance and feedback, while others may need more autonomy and flexibility. How can we use technology to accommodate these different preferences and needs, without compromising the quality and efficiency of work? 

This is where experience management, extended reality, and smart offices come in. These are three emerging technologies that can help us create an environment where productivity and collaboration grow. In this and the following articles in this series, we will explore what these technologies are, how they work, and how they can transform the way we work in the new era. 

Setting the Baseline 

Before we can explore the benefits of experience management, extended reality, and smart offices, we need to establish a baseline for communication and collaboration in the new era of work. This means using technology that allows us to create an equitable and inclusive environment for all team members, regardless of their location, identity, or preference. It also means ensuring that the technology we use is aligned with our goals, values, and resources, and that it supports us in making responsible and effective decisions. 

Some of the features that we need to look for in our baseline technology are: 

• Accessibility: The technology should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical abilities, language, or device. It should provide options for different modes of input and output, such as voice, text, video, or gesture. It should also adapt to the context and preferences of the user, such as adjusting the font size, contrast, or volume. 
• Connectivity: The technology should enable seamless and secure connectivity between devices, platforms, and systems. It should allow us to share data, files, and applications across different locations and networks. It should also facilitate real-time and asynchronous communication and collaboration, such as chat, call, video conference, or co-editing. 
• Intelligence: The technology should leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance our productivity and creativity. It should provide us with relevant information, insights, and suggestions, based on our needs, goals, and preferences. It should also help us automate tasks, optimise workflows, and avoid errors and bias. 

Efficiency: The technology should optimise the use of meeting rooms and experiences 

One of the common challenges in the workplace is finding and booking a suitable meeting room for collaboration. Often, meeting rooms are either underutilised or overbooked, leading to inefficiencies and frustrations. For example, two people might occupy an eight-person room, while a larger group struggles to find a space. Alternatively, a meeting room might lack the necessary equipment or setup to accommodate the needs and preferences of the participants, such as a projector, a whiteboard, or a flexible layout. Moreover, meeting rooms might suffer from poor acoustics, causing echo and noise that affect the quality of communication. Finally, there is often a lack of data and reporting on the usage and performance of meeting rooms, such as how often they are used, by how many people, and for what purposes. 

To address these issues, the technology should leverage AI to enhance the efficiency of meeting rooms and meeting experiences. It should provide us with tools to manage our meeting rooms more effectively, such as smart scheduling, availability detection, occupancy sensing, and energy saving. It should also help us improve our meeting experiences, such as by using Zoom's AI Director, which automatically switches the camera angle and zooms in on the active speaker, or by using environmental monitoring in Microsoft Places and Cisco Spaces, which provide real-time feedback and recommendations on the air quality, temperature, lighting, and noise level of the meeting room. By using these technologies, we can optimise our meeting rooms and meeting experiences, and achieve better collaboration outcomes. 

Ad hoc spaces: The technology should enable spontaneous and flexible collaboration in shared spaces 

Another aspect of meeting room efficiency is the availability and accessibility of ad hoc spaces, which are small and informal areas that can't be booked, but can be used for impromptu or casual meetings. These spaces are designed for two to four people in a shared space to meet and join an online meeting that they otherwise would have attended from their separate desks hunched over a laptop screen. Ad hoc spaces can foster creativity, innovation, and social bonds among colleagues, as well as reduce the demand for formal meeting rooms. 

However, ad hoc spaces also pose some challenges, such as how to find them, how to use them, and how to respect others who share the same space. For example, it might be difficult to locate an available ad hoc space, especially if the office layout is complex or dynamic. Moreover, it might be unclear what the rules and etiquette are for using an ad hoc space, such as how long one can stay, how loud one can be, or how to signal that the space is occupied. Furthermore, it might be hard to coordinate with other colleagues who might want to join the same ad hoc meeting, or who might be nearby but unaware of the meeting. 

To overcome these challenges, the technology should leverage AI to enhance the accessibility and usability of ad hoc spaces. It should provide us with tools to find and navigate to ad hoc spaces, such as using indoor positioning systems, digital signage, or mobile apps that show the availability and location of ad hoc spaces. It should also help us use ad hoc spaces more effectively, such as by using smart sensors and displays that detect the occupancy and usage of the space, and provide feedback and guidance on the temporary use policy and best practices.

Additionally, it should help us connect and collaborate with other colleagues who might be interested or involved in the ad hoc meeting, such as by using awareness of colleague location with space management tools, and AI that can help prompt onsite individuals who may be in disparate locations within a building that they could join each other for a meeting to enforce social bonds. By using these technologies, we can make the most of ad hoc spaces and enhance our spontaneous and flexible collaboration. 

Are you ready for the future of meeting spaces? 

The way we meet and collaborate has changed dramatically in the past year, and it will continue to evolve as we move towards a hybrid work model that combines remote and onsite work. Meeting rooms need to adapt to this new reality and provide us with the best possible experience, whether we are joining from home, from the office, or from anywhere else. Ad hoc spaces are one of the ways to enhance our flexibility and spontaneity in meeting and collaborating with our colleagues, but they also require the right technology and etiquette to make them work. 

If you want to make sure your meeting policy, equipment and spaces are ready to fully support the future of work, you need to partner with an expert who can help you design and implement the best communication and collaboration strategy for your business. CDW is here and ready to help you with that. We have the experience, the expertise, and the tools to help you create meeting spaces that are smart, efficient, and user-friendly. Whether you need to upgrade your audiovisual systems, install smart sensors and displays, or optimise your network and security, we can help you find the best solutions for your needs and budget. We can also help you train your staff and users on how to use the new technology and follow the best practices for meeting room etiquette and hygiene. 

Harnessing Technology To Revolutionise Meeting Spaces is part one of a four-part Modern Workspace series, with future articles including thoughts on Experience Management, Extended Reality and Line of Sight information, and Smart Offices.